Chapter 99

Zhenbao asked for the location of the Lou family's grand residence in the western part of the city. Without hesitation, he led the two people straight there, hoping to catch the ritual performed by the Mount Maoshan Taoist. Yangji and Magan, seeing his determined expression, knew something significant was about to happen. Even though they couldn't guess what it was, they didn't dare to ask and simply followed closely behind.

The three of them navigated through alleys and around canals, taking a circuitous route. Despite the urgency, they moved quickly, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had already reached the middle of the western part of the city, where they could see the grand mansions of the wealthy from a distance.

Zhenbao finally stopped and asked the two, "Do you know why I'm here?"

They shook their heads, looking bewildered.

Zhenbao smiled faintly and said, "At this point, I won't hide anything from you two. I just want to stay in Xianyang for a while and wait for Lutong to give me news before I leave. But I've seen the situation at your place, and it's truly infuriating; I can't stay there! So I have a plan to change everything—If you're willing to join me, that would be great. If not, I won't force you. We can part ways here."

Yangji and Magan were taken aback by Zhenbao's serious tone. Their eyes were full of doubt, and they stammered, "Brother Bao, are you planning to... can you tell us?"

Zhenbao thought for a moment and said, "It's fine to tell you! My plan is two-fold: to earn some money to live on and to drive away the gang led by Lailitou, so we can live peacefully in your house."

Yangji asked curiously, "Brother Bao, if you want to earn money, why not go back to the eastern part of the city? The people here won't give us any alms. Unless it's in front of taverns or brothels, where they might throw a few coins after drinking too much—but the territories are already divided, and we can't come here to beg for a living..."

"Exactly!" Magan added, "If we cross the boundary to beg, we'll be beaten severely or even lose our hands and feet! Brother Bao, it's not worth taking this risk! Even though you're capable, two fists can't match four hands, and they have too many people..."

Zhenbao laughed and shook his head, "That's not the case. Do you remember the Lou family I asked about? They've encountered some strange events. I can handle this. So I plan to help them and earn some money—this is something I can manage, and you don't need to worry. What I want to know is, are you willing to join me in dealing with Lailitou's gang?"

He stared at them calmly, waiting for their answer. If they were willing, it would show that they still had a spirit of resistance, and he would be willing to help them break free from Lailitou's control and live together in Xianyang. But if they were unwilling, there would be no point in helping them.

"Clear water can wash the cap, but turbid water can only wash the feet—it's a matter of choice!"

Yangji and Magan stood there for a while, then suddenly jumped up in excitement, laughing, "Brother Bao! We're willing! We've been waiting for this day for so many years!"

They were incredibly joyful and excited!

"Aren't you afraid? If we lose, we might lose our heads!"

They replied firmly, "We're not afraid!" Their expressions showed a resolute determination.

Zhenbao suddenly smiled, "That's great, from now on, you're truly my brothers!"

Although it was still early in the evening, the streets in the western part of the city were already quiet, with only a few hurried carriages and servants passing by. Occasionally, a few drunk patrolmen could be seen. This area was home to the mansions of wealthy merchants, with high brick walls and numerous pavilions, but it was very quiet and desolate.

Under the lanterns spaced every few meters, the pale yellow light illuminated the green bricks, which glowed faintly. Yangji and Magan used all their strength to lift Zhenbao, who clung to the brick seams and kicked his feet to climb up the wall. He then threw down a hemp rope.

This alley was behind the grand residence, with several backyards. There were few people even during the day, let alone at this time. Seeing no one around, Zhenbao didn't rush to go down. He led the two along the wall for a while, then crouched down at a recess in the eaves, quietly observing the courtyard.

At that moment, an altar with red candles and various items had been set up in the backyard. The Lou family and dozens of their close guards stood around, watching the Mount Maoshan Taoist busily preparing. On the ground, there were piles of items, seemingly for setting up a ritual array.

The inner walls of the backyard were already wrapped in a circle of red ropes, which were nailed to the green bricks, enclosing the entire courtyard. The red ropes were divided into six parts, leading to six red poles at the center of the courtyard, forming a hexagram around the altar. In front of the altar was a round bucket, covered, with something unknown inside.

Bells were tied to the ritual ropes at intervals, ringing in the wind, their sound carrying far into the night.

Zhenbao recognized this setup, and after a moment's thought, he knew it was a ritual to summon and bind the spirits of the dead. However, he wasn't sure if it would be effective against the great immortal. He hesitated, unsure whether to stay or leave.

"Ah! Let's just see what happens!"

As he was thinking, he saw the Taoist open a box and take out a yellow talisman.

The paper was dark and faded, as if it had been taken from a grave—Zhenbao's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a knot in his chest that he couldn't shake off!

Because he clearly saw the怨毒之气 (malevolent energy) condensed on the yellow talisman, swirling and chasing the spirits of those who had died unjustly.

Next, the Taoist took out two geckos from a box, decapitated them, and dripped their blood into a bowl. He then took a brush, dipped it in the blood, and quickly wrote on the yellow paper.

After finishing, he waved his hand in the air, and the yellow paper suddenly caught fire. The Taoist smiled and explained to the Lou family, "Please wait quietly. I will now begin the ritual to capture the demon. If anyone is a rooster, sheep, or horse, please turn away."

No one in the Lou family turned away, only two guards averted their faces.

The Taoist nodded, kicked the lid of the bucket with his toe, and threw the yellow talisman into it. He then called out, "Please bring the second miss here!" Lou Kang immediately went to a nearby small house and soon brought out Lou Lan.

Lou Lan's face was pale, her eyes lifeless, and she seemed to have lost all sensation. Her long saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth, and she looked like a complete idiot.

The white fox fur on her head was particularly noticeable, with black hair and white fox fur mixed together, fluttering in the wind.

Zhenbao immediately felt a surge of malevolent energy, like sharp needles piercing his brain. Before he could speak, Tianwu in his mind exclaimed, "What a heavy aura of malevolence, what a powerful entity... Hey, what's going on?"

He quickly lowered his voice and explained the situation to Tianwu. Yangji and Magan, seeing him talking to himself, felt an inexplicable fear but didn't dare to leave. They just crouched on the wall, cold sweat trickling down their foreheads.

While they were talking, the Taoist was not idle. He took out a wooden bowl and a cup of live maggots, spiders, centipedes, and scorpions from a box under the table, and poured a bottle of light yellow corpse fluid into the bowl. Immediately, the bowl made a series of squeaking sounds.

The Lou family's faces showed fear and disgust, and they all looked at Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan swallowed hard and said, "Should we reconsider?"

Lou Dashan sighed and nodded slightly...

The Taoist placed the bowl on the altar, recited incantations, and scattered numerous yellow talismans. He lit incense and candles, and used a mallet to crush the contents of the bowl into a paste.

"Chicken blood!"

Immediately, someone from the Lou family brought a rooster, cut its throat, and poured the blood into the bowl, turning the paste into a blood-red mixture. He then had Lou Lan brought over and poured the blood over her head.

Instantly, a hissing sound was heard, and the fox fur on Lou Lan's head began to emit white smoke. Her hair and fox fur started to move as if they were alive, trembling continuously!

The Taoist suddenly picked up a peachwood sword, lifted a talisman from the table, and struck it on Lou Lan's head, reciting:

"Heaven and Earth, the foul qi disperses; the cave is mysterious and vast, the light shines brightly; the eight directions' spirits make me natural; the Lingbao talisman commands, announcing to the nine heavens; Qian Luo Da Na, the cave's power is great; cutting demons and binding evil, killing thousands of ghosts; the Zhongshan spell, the Jade Text of the Primordial; reciting it once, diseases are cured and life is prolonged; traveling the five mountains, the eight seas know; the demon king bows, serving my carriage; malevolent qi dissipates, the Dao qi remains—by command! Demons and heretics, obey the law!"

He struck her head several times, then suddenly lifted the bucket from the altar and shouted, "What kind of demon are you, not showing your true form?" As he shouted, he thrust the peachwood sword into the gap between Lou Lan's scalp and the fox fur, pushing it up—

"Oh no!" At that moment, Zhenbao silently exclaimed, "Something's going to happen!"

Sure enough, the thrust did not remove the fox fur as he had hoped. Instead, there was a crack, and the peachwood sword snapped in two!

Before anyone could react, there were more cracking sounds, and the incense, candles, and red ropes on the altar broke into pieces!

A cold wind suddenly rose, and black smoke billowed, enveloping the courtyard in a dark, boundless darkness. In the darkness, countless pairs of blood-red eyes surrounded them.

PS: "Clear water can wash the cap, but turbid water can only wash the feet—it's a matter of choice!"—from "Mencius: Luli," meaning: "If the water is clear, one can wash the cap; if the water is dirty, one can only wash the feet. This is a matter of choice." The following line is: "A person must first disgrace themselves, and then others will disgrace them; a family must first destroy itself, and then others will destroy it; a country must first attack itself, and then others will attack it."

Shou Gong: An ancient term for gecko, also known as scorpion lizard or salt snake. (To be continued, please search for Piaowen Xue, for better and faster updates!)